A court has ordered a Southall food business to pay more than £10,000 after a series of food hygiene and safety failings were uncovered.
Balaji Foods Ltd, which is based in Adrienne Business Centre, Southall, and its director, Tilokaram Kachhawa, of Ascot Gardens in Southall, pleaded guilty at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court to 6 offences relating to operating without the correct approval, failing to ensure that food is protected against contamination, unsafe foods placed on the market, mislabelled allergens, and poor hygiene practices.
At the hearing on 20 January, Balaji Foods Ltd was fined £3,338, ordered to pay £1,777 costs and a £1,015 victim surcharge.
Kachhawa must pay a total of £4,102. He was fined £1,661, ordered to pay £1,777 costs, and a £664 victim surcharge.
Routine inspection uncovered serious risks
The court action followed inspections by Ealing Council.
During an unannounced inspection in October 2024, council officers found that although the business was producing Indian sweets using dairy ingredients, it had not sought authority to do so. Safety rules mean food businesses which use foods of animal origin must apply to the council to become an ‘approved establishment’.
Inside the production rooms, officers also found:
- food debris and dirt on equipment
- utensils with visible residue, including allergens such as nuts
- no allergen risk assessments
- sweets containing undeclared allergens, including pistachio, almond, and cashew nuts, in foods already on sale to other businesses
Laboratory testing confirmed the presence of undeclared allergens in several samples. Failing to properly declare ingredients – especially allergens – puts consumers at risk of serious injury or even death, and there are clear rules in place which manufacturers must conform to.
The council issued a legal notice immediately, which meant the company had to stop production.
After cleaning up its production rooms and making changes to its processes, the business applied for and was granted approved establishment status and has restarted production.
‘Protecting people’s health comes first’
Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, the council’s cabinet member for decent living incomes, said: “Protecting the health and safety of the public is a top priority for us. The risks this business took are completely unacceptable, and the court’s ruling reflects the seriousness of the failings. We will always take strong action against businesses that put people in danger.”
Keeping residents safe
The council’s food safety team continues to carry out unannounced inspections across the borough to make sure food sold to residents is safe. Officers can issue notices, seize food, or bring prosecutions when businesses do not meet legal standards.
You can check the hygiene rating of a food business online by visiting the Food Standards Agency website.
If you have concerns about a food business, email the council’s food safety team: foodsafety@ealing.gov.uk
